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Animal control officers in Lewisville are in search of pot-bellied pigs after one was caught along the woods near Jones Street and Lakecrest Drive. (Published Monday, Feb 11, 2013)

Animal control officers in Lewisville are caring for a pot-bellied pig found wandering near Interstate 35E and are searching for the sow's baby.

The Lewisville Animal Shelter received several calls about pigs along I-35E in a wooded area near Jones Street.

An anonymous caller told shelter workers a white pickup truck with a cage in the bed dropped off three pigs -- two adults and a baby. The caller said the truck later returned.

"The story that we're hearing indicated that the person that dropped these pigs came back later on that afternoon and turned their dogs loose on the same area," said Laura Wise, shelter supervisor.

The sow had significant damage to her right ear and punctures on her side. She was bleeding significantly when she came to the shelter, where she is recovering.

The caller said the second adult pig was killed, but no evidence to support that claim has been found, Wise said.

Animal control officers are searching for the baby, which was last seen Friday when the mother was captured.

"We're trying to find her baby," Wise said. "That's our big thing."

Animal control officer Tonya Sabin, who is making daily trips to the woods to search, said the baby ran away when they tried to stop the mother pig from running onto the interstate.

Sabin said a neighbor on Monday told her that the baby was spotted on Sunday with an adult pig.

It's unclear if the adult was a fourth pig or the pig that was rumored to be dead.

For the safety of the animals and people in the area, animal control officers hope to soon locate any pigs in the woods.

The mother pig spends most of her time at the shelter ripping a blanket to shreds.

"She weighs, like, probably 75, 80 pounds at least," Wise said.

The shelter has lined up a rescue for the sow that is also willing to take the baby as well. But it has to happen soon.

"The sooner we find the poor thing, the better," Wise said.

Anyone who sees the pigs are asked to contact the Lewisville Animal Shelter at 972-219-3478. The shelter says people shouldn't approach the animals because, even though they are domesticated, they scare very easily.